Council And Police Secure Another Illegal DVD Prosecution

A Southall trader has been found guilty of selling fake DVDs and CDs and fined £2,850 by Ealing Magistrates, after Ealing Council and the police brought him to court.

On the 25th August, the court found Mr Kultar Kapoor, of 42 The Broadway in Southall, guilty of five offences under the Trade Mark Act 1994. He was fined £500 for each offence plus court costs of £350.

The court heard that council trading standards officers and the police had visited Mr Kapoor at his store, Guru Kirpa, on the Broadway on the 29th December 2004. They found more than 170 pirate Bollywood DVDs and CDs on his premises, many of which had not yet been released.

In January Mr Kapoor was arrested and charged with five counts of breaking the Trade Mark Act. His prosecution was then fast tracked under a system introduced by the police and council to speed up these types of serious offences.

Cllr John Delaney, Cabinet member for streets and environment, said: "This is another success story for us in our campaign with the police and the British Phonographic Industry to clamp down on illegal traders.

"The message to consumers is clear - always double check a DVD before you buy it. If it's legitimate, it should have a hologram sticker on the back. If it doesn’t put it back, as you can't be sure of what you're buying."